County endorses different legislative bills

Lincoln County commissioners were in an endorsing mood, as they approved letters of support for several pieces of legislation introduced during the current legislative session.

At their meeting last month, County Manager Nita Taylor said Eddie Tudor, Resource Management Bureau chief for the state Forestry Division, requested the commission to support House Bill 373, sponsored by state Rep. Emily Kane, D-Bernalillo, which would allow the division to enact emergency rules restricting the sales and use of fireworks statewide.

The bill already successfully passed out of the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee and the House Judiciary Committee.

While Commissioner Mark Doth said he was reluctant to allow private enterprise to set up a business and then pass rules that would interfere with operation, he voted for the letter of endorsement.

"I've never seen fireworks sold in Lincoln County, so it's not like stopping something locally," said Commission Chairman Jackie Powell.

Commissioner Kathryn Minter said while for each law passed, there are plenty of people who will violate it, "We need to go on record for a local entity to have control and be able to enact a ban when they want to. We had a local fire started by fireworks."

Brent Racher, PhD., from Corona, spoke in support of Senate Bill 204 introduced by state Sen.

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Phil Griego, D-San Jose, dealing with "useful thermal energy," which was defined as renewable energy delivered from a source that can be metered and that would take the place of fossil fuel. Part of the bill's thrust is to create a market for small diameter trees cut during thinning operations in New Mexico to reduce hazardous fuels and to improve the state's watersheds.

State Rep. Zach Cook, R-Ruidoso, introduced a mirror bill on the House side of the legislature. Commissioners approved a letter of support. Powell said, "We've got to start somewhere."

Racher said the Senate bill is meant to be a mechanism for more hazard fuel and forest restoration projects in New Mexico, create an economic opportunity through the use of hazardous fuels and would amend the renewable portfolio for utilities.

"The bill asks for the addition of renewable energy credits for projects that use the majority of their material from reusable forest material, and adds thermal," Racher said. "We can get more efficient use of our energy. Electrical generation from biomass using conventional methods is about 35 percent efficient. If we can use the heat that is produced, we would approach 75 percent to 80 percent efficiency."

The addition of thermal under renewable energy also would allow other technologies such as solar thermal and ground source heat pumps, he said. "This will help revitalize a lot of forest and watershed projects, because it gives us a market for the product," Racher said. Few markets now exist for small diameter trees and the bill would help create jobs and encourage rural economic development, he contended.

While he didn't have an exact figure for the cost of fighting wildfires in the state, it's obvious the cost is far greater for suppression than for treatment and prevention.

The Department of Economic Development produced a study showing that over the past 10 years, New Mexico spent $89 million to fight wildfires, not accounting for federal and county dollars. Over just the last four years, fighting fires larger than 40,000 acres has cost all agencies combined about $1.5 billion, he said. That figure is a midpoint of a large range, because the costs still are accruing to private citizens, taxpayers, businesses and counties, he said, adding, "And they accrue for long period of time."

Doth asked why tires are not included as a possible fuel source. "Some municipalities are using biohazard generators that burn tires," he said. "The energy release per pound is huge."

Racher said the list might be revisited in the future, because many new technologies are coming on line every year. The carbon in tires also is beneficial in making renewable fuels, he said.

In confirming her support for the bill, Minter said she thought it was a great idea, but it seems aimed at the commercial side. She wondered if individual homeowners who burned wood for heat could receive credit from an electric utility. Racher said the ability to meter is key and would be prohibitive at the domestic residential level.

The bill received support from the New Mexico Rural Electric Board and the Public Regulatory Commission, he said.

Commissioner Preston Stone asked Racher is any biomass renewable plants are operational in New Mexico. He replied that the few of which he is aware are either shut down because of the economics or are subsidized.

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